|
|
 |
Originally started in the 2001 Fall season as the Covina Dodgers, the squad immediately became a top contender in the 18A division but couldn't shake the playoff monkey from their backs. The fall of 2003 saw a management change to current manager Joe Robles and the Claremont Dodgers were born. After getting some reps in the fall, the Claremont squad finished league runner-up in their first summer season against tight competition that featured the powerhouse Astros (now West Covina Padres) and eventual champions, the Black Sox, who were the only team to defeat Claremont in the double elimination playoff.
The Dodgers bounced back in full force in 2005 finishing the regular season with a record of 15-1 and winning the single elimination playoff on the way to their first league title. 2006 saw a bump to 18AA, the loss of a few key players, and an infusion of new ones. A disappointing .500 finish left the Dodgers looking for a rebuild for 2007.
And rebuild they did. After taking the winter off, the Dodgers made a few significant additions and decided to start with a completely clean slate by adopting a minor league name that no other team in the league would have. The Thunder was born and in their inaugural season in the 18A division returned to their winning ways by finishing the season 14-3-1, claiming the division title. The Thunder then proceeded to record two one-run playoff victories, however ended up losing their third championship game in four years to the Norwalk Astros 4-2.
As the Thunder move into the future, they look to get some more W's, have fun, and most importantly, uphold the team motto: don’t be bad!
| |
|
